Oct 10th 2010, 15:09 by T.J.
SERBIAN police have been fighting running battles with thugs and anti-gay protestors in Belgrade. The headquarters of the ruling Democratic Party was briefly set on fire with Molotov cocktails and several shops were attacked. A mobile mammography unit was stoned; cars, buses, trams and the headquarters of Serbian television were also attacked. By early afternoon more than 100 police and civilians were reported to have been injured. The demonstrators, several hundred-strong: “Death to homsexuals!” and “Go to Kosovo!”.
The attacks are believed to have been organised by small extreme nationalist groups. Last year threats from such groups led to the cancellation of the country’s Gay Pride march, which was seen as a huge blow for tolerance in the country and made the government look weak. After that debacle, this year’s event had become a test of the government’s will. And outsiders took a keen interest. The march was addressed by Vincent Degert, the head of the EU delegation in Serbia, who said: “We are here to celebrate this very important day... to celebrate the values of tolerance, freedom of expression and assembly." The presence of Mr Degert showed how seriously the government was taking the test. Police with armoured vehicles protected the event.
Last Thursday Svetozar Čiplić, Serbia’s minister for human rights, said he would attend the march. Ivica Dacić, the interior minister, said: “This is one way to test whether we in Serbia are ready and able to organise something that most citizens dislike.” But Srdjan Nogo, a member of Dveri, one of the far-right groups which was mobilising against the march, said: “They [the government] have destroyed everything, and now they want our family. This is the defence of the family and the future of the Serbian people.”
By mid-afternoon Serbia’s leaders were rallying in defence of the march and condemning the violence. Dragan Djilas, the mayor of Belgrade, said that the damage amounted to €1m. President Boris Tadić said that an attack on the police was an attack on the state of Serbia itself. With Hilary Clinton, the US secretary of state, due to pay him a visit on Tuesday, today’s riots were a problem he could have done without.
SERBIAN police have been fighting running battles with thugs and anti-gay protestors in Belgrade. The headquarters of the ruling Democratic Party was briefly set on fire with Molotov cocktails and several shops were attacked. A mobile mammography unit was stoned; cars, buses, trams and the headquarters of Serbian television were also attacked. By early afternoon more than 100 police and civilians were reported to have been injured. The demonstrators, several hundred-strong: “Death to homsexuals!” and “Go to Kosovo!”.
The attacks are believed to have been organised by small extreme nationalist groups. Last year threats from such groups led to the cancellation of the country’s Gay Pride march, which was seen as a huge blow for tolerance in the country and made the government look weak. After that debacle, this year’s event had become a test of the government’s will. And outsiders took a keen interest. The march was addressed by Vincent Degert, the head of the EU delegation in Serbia, who said: “We are here to celebrate this very important day... to celebrate the values of tolerance, freedom of expression and assembly." The presence of Mr Degert showed how seriously the government was taking the test. Police with armoured vehicles protected the event.
Last Thursday Svetozar Čiplić, Serbia’s minister for human rights, said he would attend the march. Ivica Dacić, the interior minister, said: “This is one way to test whether we in Serbia are ready and able to organise something that most citizens dislike.” But Srdjan Nogo, a member of Dveri, one of the far-right groups which was mobilising against the march, said: “They [the government] have destroyed everything, and now they want our family. This is the defence of the family and the future of the Serbian people.”
By mid-afternoon Serbia’s leaders were rallying in defence of the march and condemning the violence. Dragan Djilas, the mayor of Belgrade, said that the damage amounted to €1m. President Boris Tadić said that an attack on the police was an attack on the state of Serbia itself. With Hilary Clinton, the US secretary of state, due to pay him a visit on Tuesday, today’s riots were a problem he could have done without.
the economist
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